I absolutely agree, more alcohol related accidents, deaths and crimes are committed than a non-violent crime of smoking/growing marijuana for your own personal use. Keeping it out of the drug trade by not buying or distributing. Some of us depend on it for medical reasons but are kept exclusively out because of the laws, or the law finds it by 'accident' because they were called out for another reason, they try to 'frame' us with tampered evidence in order to try to make a big case...they system needs to change and STOP wasting the taxpayers money by sending a small time user for medical or personal reasons through our system and into jail for a NON - VIOLENT crime. Remember, the legal meaning of crime is: an illegal or violent act against society. Is smoking a joint to ease one's medical condition an act of violence against society?

Get with it hypocrites, I am unfortunately not able to take anti-depressants, these 'legal' drugs cause me serious harm, taking them one day being told by a psychologist when asked if they were an anti-depressant and being told no, may now cost me not only my education but my future. I should have smoked a joint instead and had NO repercussions as this drug made me feel as though I were dying and my psychologist rather than call me as I requested (which was his obligation to me) instead called in a suicide attempt, causing a search and seizure of a single plant that I was growing and a bag that I had harvested. Because the officers were here on another completely different call, and because my psychologist was incompetent, I now stand to face not only costly lawyer fees, but also hospital bills, ambulance fees, and numerous other costs to my financially and my future. Yet I am a 4.0 college student. I smoke for a reason, my health. I do not drive while under the influence, I do not sell or buy it from the streets. What crime did I commit?

I have zero income as SSI took away my disability leaving me with nothing, the officers confiscated even my prescription drugs and lied about them all being crushed when confiscated so that I could not get them back. The drugs they have me on are far worse than any marijuana. They are physically addictive and cause severe withdrawals, and the sad part is, the longer you take them, the more you body needs them . . . legal? They should not be, and also one of the most expensive and sought after street drugs today - Oxycontin and Oxycodone.

My business tools were also confiscated that I need this time of year and no way to replace them. The law and the system has wronged me, when a police officer forces his way into my home by knocking me down then asking if he can enter. And forced to a psych unit and never having my rights read, and tampering with evidence. No doubt I can probably have this case thrown out, but it has caused me severe trauma. 6 weeks after release from the psych ward I was unable to sleep, refused to go out (still do unless it is absolutely necessary), have been stigmatized by my community in which I played a great part in for our volunteer rescue and fire departments, juvenile offenders, etc.

Hugs not drugs - it's obvious you have never faced severe issues with your health, and by not putting in prescription drugs and alcohol into the class of drugs, that indeed makes you one of the largest hypocrites our nation, society and legal system face today causing the largest problems within the system.

I believe that I have the formula for saving the world from its drug problem....If all the police forces over the world STOPPED creating informers from their criminal captures .i.e Jail the guilty..... No taking information from dealers in return for lesser or no punishment.... The outcome would be ......... slowly but surely the guilty will be caught ..... No exceptions ........from the top big shops to the addicted street dealer..

I absolutely agree, these 'informers', many of which are not far from the top dogs themselves escape the punishment they deserve for distributing large quantities of even the most severe drugs on our streets. Putting at risk, children, and in the more severe drugs, anyone in their paths that may be a target for violence against them to feed the addicts needs. I'm not talking about merely Marijuana, which I will never be convinced is habit forming; but heroin, cocaine and the worst culprit - Oxycontin and Oxycodone, even though they are a 'legal' drug when prescribed. I have first hand account of not only what these drugs do to one physically, but also have seen what they cause in society to an addict that uses them for recreational purposes purchasing them on the streets without a legal prescription.

Society suffers far more greatly with this 'legal' drug more than any other drug next to heroin; Oxycontin and Oxycodone which is a heroin substitute (opiate based) drug are far more dangerous than any marijuana that could possibly be found or grown on the street.

Cops using informers are only adding to the drug problem by allowing these 'bad' boys out; or pleading to lesser charges in exchange for information that 'may' lead to the arrest of the next biggest dealer. These informers go right back to the same illegal circumstances they were first arrested for and are repeat offenders often committing violent crimes against society. The recidivism rate is a constant because they do no time or get rehabilitation services. This is where our system fails not only the informer which does need help, but also society that has fallen victim to the addicts needs.

First off, prohibiting drugs is completely unconstitutional. I should have the right to put whatever I want in my body - and no one should get in the way of that. Smoking a joint harms no one except myself. (and barely harms me at that)

Second off, if you're FOR keeping drugs illegal, you're supporting all those violent drug cartels, drug gangs, criminals and basically everyone who profit off of this abortion of a system.

If the government legalized and regulated all drugs, we could use that money to make more rehab centers, and make them more efficient. The fact is, just because a drug is "bad" doesn't mean people won't do it.

Millions of people a year die from alcohol and nicotine. Cigs are more prevalent, and everyone is aware of the consequences of cigs. Yet people still do them. People should have the right to make that choice regardless of how detrimental to their health it is.

Third, the two most harmful drugs in the world are currently legal. (alcohol and nicotine) If this whole war against drugs thing was really about keeping society healthy then the government might as well start a war on alcohol and cigs too seeing as they are the most dangerous drugs out there.

saw your response to "Hugs not Drugs" and even though you may have a point, I bet that if you ask a new born baby who because of the parents doing drugs, is now a drug baby, have you ever seen a baby that was forced to be hooked on drugs because the mother was an addict. It a ugly sight. I would support your movement to stop the drug war, as soon as they pass a law making it a crime punishable by death for parents that give birth to drug addict babies.

if we spent more money helping people stay off drugs and less money putting people in jail for drugs i bet you would see a drop in the use of drugs take it from an ex-addict i went through 15 rehabs and 20 years of getting high. if someone would have help me rather than making me hide out to get high i would have kicked it sooner... rehabs are just ways of getting new hookups

You are absolutely correct! Most rehabs are not at all rehabs, those 'halfway' houses are full of addicts and make it impossible for those that really do want to clean up their lives unable to do so. Random testing is done only to those NOT in favor of their 'keepers', while those that are trying to kick the habit are constantly harassed and tested while in those circumstances. The blind eye is turned to the 'teachers pets' so to speak.

Great Point!
Yes, we do need to spend more money on programs and less money on putting addicts in jail, what purpose does it serve? The minute they are out, they want that fix they have spent thinking about the entire time they sit in a jail cell, rather than spending time in an actual rehab center learning constructive thoughts and performing constructive behavior.

My son made progress with his addiction only when I took him out of the halfway house and gave him something useful to do with his time. The halfway house was nothing but bad association. Perhaps the NARCOTICS ANONOMOUS meetings are good for some but later he stopped going to the meetings also because it was being used by most as a place to renew old connections and/or hook-up for sex. A better system for helping addicts is badly needed. From what I have experienced addiction for some is mainly physical and for some is mainly mental. Not all can be treated the same.

I've been using drugs for several years now, and even in the depths of an amphetamine addiction, I have been a loving, caring person. Love will not keep people off drugs, unless they find themselves hurting those that they love because of drugs (this is why I quit doing speed). I see what you are saying, but I would just like to say that not everyone who does drugs, even the hardest and most horrible drugs, is an unhappy person, or does drugs because they are unhappy.

I wonder when this country is going to wake up & choose health over drugs. It is our choice, anyone can use drugs but it takes a real man/woman to face the troubles of your past and today and be strongs enough to handle them soberly.

no one will ever choose health over outside stimulation, some people smoke joints to give them the endorphin rush they need, others take steroids and work out, some run really far and damage their entire cardiovascular system through over exertion and the stress that accompanies an unrelaxed lifestyle.

legalize drugs, if we dont need to buy them illegally (and people always will) then the cartels will collapse and a huge ammount of police resourses will appear.

why cant people just relise that drugs will never disapear unless the goverment and the police and also just normal people make it happen.we have to make a statement by making a new law that if you supply anyone with a class A drug then you will be put to death. sooner or later people will relise that theyre goin to be killed if they dont stop selling and using. this is however a longterm thing but will be more effective.
thanks x

Drugs will NEVER disappear, pull your sorry head out of the sand and deal with the issues.

Try supporting rehab, and supporting the legal use of a NON violent drugs such as Marijuana for medical purposes. How much money do you contribute to the thousands of non-profit organizations that do try to help addicts?

My guess would be none - get a grip on reality, stop being a loudmouth and try doing something constructive. Pull your head out and do some good for society with all the time you seem to have to waste on nonsense and bullshit ideology.

I'm the same person from the "help!!!!!" message. Law enforcement personnel are the one's on the front lines the one's who can bring it home the best, what consequences the war on drugs are having on society. please no replies if not sincere (i.e. crooked MoFo's crooks (crooked crooks :-)) and cops (crooked cops ;-)) alike.

Drugs are like money. People make drugs evil,when honestly if u are mad at drugs its usually a human beings fault(FOR INSTANCE YOURSELF?). Drugs cant hurt you unless of course for example some gangbanger decides to shove it down ur throat u know wat i mean?

The real problem we face when dealing with drugs is not the drugs themselves, but drug abuse. The solution to drug abuse is not the revocation of substances. The solution is teaching children that a drug addiction is either
a. managable (many people lead completely uncomplicated lives and still do heroin)
b. psychological and no different than a video game addiction

once proper knowledge is in place, people refuse to let themselves make mistakes or take dangerous risks

Wow, another individual with common sense and an ideal concept that would actually work.

You're absolutely correct in the statement that even a heroin addict can be productive, it would be akin to a functioning alcoholic.

Yes, we can do drugs and function very well, I am an addict to Oxycontin, not because I use it in a recreational sense, but because it is prescribed and I have no choice as my pain factor due to a disabling and crippling back injury and disease have finally forced the need for a stronger pain medication. This along with marijuana, makes it tolerable until someday I can save for surgery and finish out my education. Can I function? Absolutely! I am a student that carries a 4.0 in Criminal Justice with a paralegal degree. I use both drugs with care, I do not drive while smoking, but the Oxy's do nothing to hinder my motor functions.

Great byline - Say KNOW to drugs, if I knew your real name I would site you as a source for some of my papers in Criminal Justice and law school.

If more people would show such common sense (rather than push their beliefs into stupid laws), we wouldn't have the mess our systems are in and society would be a much safer place for all.

drugs will always be here . whether legal or illegal.. have any of you watched the movie blow?,, look how many times goerge jung was busted and he still dealed.. what makes you think that because you get caught..your not gonna continue to do it. some cocaine dealers make billions..when done properly..so getting charged with 100 grand is nothing to them.. they can make it back in a short amout of time. 90% of our cocaine is from columbia...over 50 million people in the world are heroin addicts..i bet you not half of those will never get bustted..
just give up..let the screw ups make their own choices... people learn from their mistakes

Marijuana can be grown by idiots. Mushrooms can be grown by idiots. Opium poppies can be grown by idiots. Heroin can be brought into the country by idiots. Cocaine can be brought into the country by idiots. Crystal Meth can be cooked up by idiots. PCP can be cooked up by idiots. Ecstasy can be synthesized by idiots, and the other deadly chemicals usually sold as "E" tablets can be synthesized by idiots too.

Because the above drugs are so easy to supply and demand is so high, there will always be people to supply them. We can make small dents in the supply which will recover in a matter of weeks or months.

LSD can't. LSD is a complex molecule. It takes an advanced degree in chemistry to synthesize. The number of people in the United States cooking up acid in notable quantities is in the single or double digits. It's the only chemical, the ONE AND ONLY CHEMICAL, targeted by the drug war where a couple of busts can seriously damage the market.

But why would we want to target Acid? In the mid-20th century LSD was being hailed as a miracle chemical. It was being used to treat schizophrenia and a number of other mental disorders with unparalleled success. Canadian scientists used LSD to help alcoholics put down the bottle forever. Timothy Leary gave LSD to students of academia and religion who found it to be the most enlightening experience possible for man. Watson and Crick were under the influence of LSD when they determined the structure of the DNA molecule. Criminals were able to return to society as fully-functioning citizens after their experiences with Acid.

Why should a war's only successes be against a drug that saved so many lives and enriched so many more?

Is that true that Crick and Watson were under the influence of LSD when they discovered the DNA sequence of the double helix. I have done LDS 6 times in my life between 18 and 21 I am now 40 and won't ever do it again but I thought it was an enlightening experience compared to anything else I've ever done. Can you post your information on Crick and Watson?

I'm actually scared how badly misinformed people are about drugs. Because we've lumped drugs into one category, people don't understand at all why people choose to do drugs.

I've read a lot about drugs over the past couple of years and I think I can say there are 4 broad categories of drug users: The bored, The Pressured, The Desperate, and The Curious.

I just graduated High School. I knew a lot of people who smoked weed, and they just did it because they were bored. On the weekends when there wasn't much to do, weed would make the most humdrum activities seem at least somehow interesting.

There are no friendly strangers with free drugs, but just like an office worker might be pressured to eat lunch at a restaurant with coworkers, so too are many celebrities and glitterati pressured to enjoy heroin and coke like the 80's idols. Soon it becomes an addiction and things just spiral down from there.

You lose your job. Your family is in ruins. You have no future. You need to escape from the misery of your day to day life. What could make you forget better than Crystal Meth? It's cheap, it makes you happy, and you couldn't care less about your situation. These people need help, not legal trouble.

The curious you may not understand. Read some Aldous Huxley if you're wondering what I mean.

I have read Alduous Huxley's Brave New World and I couldn't hlep but think about Soma (the drug they took to make them happy(comfortable)) I think that the outsiders ( it's been awhilie since I read the book) couldn't handle the Soma ie the mother overdosing. But the need remained to feel a euphoria at least once in awhile. This need has been with us forever but what is behind this need? If we could answer that we would be better off. But who are we as individuals to judge others on what they need to be comfortable? I;m not sure what my responsibility is to others when it comes to drugs but i"m positive it is not to lock them up!

We call them in spanish "camellos", cause they are the bearers of the drugs you never meet them, they use to act hidden to avoid legal control
of the police and justice . Kill them out and you,ll end up with the pest, if you don,t they,ll kill your son your brother or will finish with you relentlessly. A direct shooting to the head of the dealer will bring you a sensation of relaxation a feeling you had long forgotten.Recover your right to end up with the problem by yourself. A rude way of talking ,yes,but the real thing is that the cemetery is full of people killed not only by the drugs but for their dealers.

Ive tried em a few times and had fun sometimes but its really just a waste of
money.
Id rather be able to spend money on something else or have my brain to be able to work the next day.
I now despise drug use. Especially pot,not in others i dont hate them but when i use it
i dont enjoy it whatso ever, too much fear for no reason.

Mainly i think its a waste of money but ive made dumb decisions on pot or e's where its life changingly regretful.
But i wont hate users, just think overuse is dumb and can create problems.

the definition of drugs are ambiguous and defined, such as say prozac, aspro, anesthetics, and a huge range of legal drugs, the illegal drugs in the West such as cocaine is normal or not dependant on culture, a drug that is worth mentioning is money, as you are well aware our Prime minister, Rudds immediate family is worth 60 million dollars, the opposition leader worth almost three times that, my point is that they feel good to having a lot of dosh, I consider money the greatest drug, the ramifications are mind boggling, a lot of police CIA mi5 and 6 are involved in drugs, either for personal gain or for the perks they get directly or otherwise, such as superanuation, or financing military to kill people, drugs are extensively used in sport meaning the thrill of bio drugs such as adrenaline, a lot of sex in fact I would say entirely is to do with electrochemical body drugs, power and domination of others is drug related TV indoctrination, the subject is vast, this is just an outline of a bit of the drug maze.

the definition of drugs are ambiguous and defined, such as say prozac, aspro, anesthetics, and a huge range of legal drugs, the illegal drugs in the West such as cocaine is normal or not dependant on culture, a drug that is worth mentioning is money, as you are well aware our Prime minister, Rudds immediate family is worth 60 million dollars, the opposition leader worth almost three times that, my point is that they feel good to having a lot of dosh, I consider money the greatest drug, the ramifications are mind boggling, a lot of police CIA mi5 and 6 are involved in drugs, either for personal gain or for the perks they get directly or otherwise, such as superanuation, or financing military to kill people, drugs are extensively used in sport meaning the thrill of bio drugs such as adrenaline, a lot of sex in fact I would say entirely is to do with electrochemical body drugs, power and domination of others is drug related TV indoctrination, the subject is vast, this is just an outline of a bit of the drug maze.

The world's people, everywhere.. has been pushed to a place they can not think for themselves..feel what they actually feel..the tv..the music..the media..tells you exactly what you need..want..feel..crave..what you are..what you aren't..every darn day, is what someone has inferred..you need or want to get through an hour ..through your day. Messages running trough you head on a constant...do you actually think the thoughts in your head are yours?..nope!

Turn off the tv..quit listening to the music messages..do your day in a quiet.. an introspective way....thinking about maybe your purpose...think about the result of your actions..learn again how to quietly think..feel..be..with nothing besides yourself and those you love and really want to be around.

Talk about important things..really, think about those you love..show them you love them..they will show you they love you..the world will seem different, eventually..it will take time..as you have been indoctrinated..programed if you will..

You need to de-program yourself by being 'you again'..and those around you can be themselves..going through this with you and all will be healthier mentally and spiritually and physically for it...it is a growing, a nurturing thing..and it feels honest and good...you are doing it..

This life lasts a lifetime..ya have to figure it out to get through it sanely..that is the deal..

Try and eat really good food always, you'll need nourishment to be healthier as well...good luck!

Like seriously what decent human being would take drugs?? it doesnt make ANYTHING any better you might as well go jump off an effing cliiff! I HATE DRUGS always have always will. They fuck up anything that was or ever will be important to you.

If you're seriously wondering what the point is ... well, let me tell you, in my humble opinion

Not every person that uses "drugs" is an addict in the sense of the word that they lose complete control of their life or well being.

there are Many people who must result to self medicating for various reasons.

society in general has been lead to believe that All drugs are "bad" and Only lead to addiction. in fact Less than 1% of people that use "drugs" for chronic pain/medical reasons actually become "addicted" and of those nearly 100% fully recover once proper treatment has been received.

More people than Ever have had to result to self medicating due to the current "war on drugs" - this leads to an increase in illicit use which leads to a higher rate of "addiction" - as an ancient saying goes: "Society Prepares the Crime and the Criminal Commits it" < must I explain this?

It has been medically and scientifically found that a certain % of people Never feel truly well unless taking particular "drugs" < in that "drugs" contain the same neurotransmitters that our bodies should produce Naturally - some people do Not produce high enough levels of these neurotransmitters : you break your leg and the brain releases the neurotransmitters to manage the pain of the broken leg - yet some people are unable to produce enough natural pain relieving neurotransmitters/chemicals and therefore need a supplement drug/neurotransmitter to do the job their body is not doing. it Is the same for depression - a person in a (chronic/medical) state of depression lacks "normal" ranges of serotonin, melatonin etc and therefore needs a "drug" in order to lessen or stop the depression.

Drugs off Much More good than a lot of people understand or believe. i believe through education and guidance drugs could be much less detrimental to those who abuse them rather than use them to better their lives. Anything not used in moderation can be detrimental. Money, food, drugs, love and so forth. in life there is a proper use for everything.

It saddens me to see so many people these days believing that All drugs are "Bad" and have no place in our society. i understand it Is difficult to see the many Great Benefits that most drugs offer, (exceptions being PCP and the likes) when the Media shows us Only the negative connotations of drugs. even television shows such as the CSI series mention drugs such as oxycodone as being the mediating cause to crime. so, i certainly understand why our society seems to have such a distrust, dislike and believe drugs are the bane of our existence.

Please, do some research about the Other side of the coin. you, yourself some day may find yourself in a car accident or sick and in need of drugs in order to live. i find it's easier for those who require no need for these life sustaining and life giving substances to make snap judgements.